MUFG Securities EMEA plc Grows Stake in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

by · The Cerbat Gem

MUFG Securities EMEA plc increased its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO – Free Report) by 114.0% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 68,818 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 36,664 shares during the quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $3,968,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Viking Fund Management LLC lifted its position in Altria Group by 14.1% during the fourth quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC now owns 202,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,647,000 after purchasing an additional 25,000 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in shares of Altria Group by 7.2% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 12,073,682 shares of the company’s stock worth $797,587,000 after acquiring an additional 814,665 shares during the period. Public Sector Pension Investment Board raised its position in shares of Altria Group by 13.7% in the third quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 144,725 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,561,000 after acquiring an additional 17,429 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE increased its stake in shares of Altria Group by 3.2% during the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 603,834 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,889,000 after purchasing an additional 18,626 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Peterson Wealth Services purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the third quarter worth about $3,926,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Altria Group Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of MO opened at $68.61 on Tuesday. Altria Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $54.70 and a twelve month high of $74.56. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $68.29 and its 200-day simple moving average is $64.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $114.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.35, a PEG ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.46.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The business had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.23 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 88.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 16th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.44.

View Our Latest Research Report on MO

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total value of $145,120.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. This trade represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total transaction of $1,885,743.56. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at $12,221,318.33. The trade was a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 35,698 shares of company stock worth $2,449,191. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Altria Group Company Profile

(Free Report)

Altria Group, Inc (NYSE: MO) is a U.S.-based consumer goods company whose principal business is the manufacture and sale of tobacco products. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, the company’s operations are focused primarily on the U.S. market and include the production, marketing and distribution of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and cigars. Its flagship cigarette franchise in the United States is sold through its operating subsidiaries and is among the most recognizable cigarette brands in the country.

Altria’s principal operating businesses include Philip Morris USA (cigarettes), U.S.

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